Method and apparatus for sending and tracking resume data sent via URL

ABSTRACT

A resume database system allows for resume records on the resume database system to be viewed by others via a Uniform Resource Locator, URL. In addition, in response to instructions from an authorized user of the resume database system, input from an unauthorized, but otherwise verified, source can be added to the database by the resume database system. The verified user accesses the resume database and completes any necessary forms via a web browser and submits the information. The authorized user defines the actions that the verified user is allowed to take. These actions include, for example, only being able to review resume information, or being able to add information to the resume database without needing training on the operation of the database. A resume database server system coordinates the activity of the authorized and verified users. Communications between all three users is accomplished via a computer network.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 as acontinuation of U.S. Non-provisional application Ser. No. 10/846,765,filed May 14, 2004, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SENDING ANDTRACKING RESUME DATA SENT VIA URL,” of which application claims thebenefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 as a continuation of U.S. Non-provisionalapplication Ser. No. 09/537,536, filed Mar. 29, 2000, entitled “METHODAND APPARATUS FOR SENDING AND TRACKING RESUME DATA SENT VIA URL.”

BACKGROUND

Recently, with the increased use of the Internet, large databasescontaining resumes from individuals seeking new employment opportunitieshave been created. In one system, the database includes a scanned imageof a person's printed resume with some searchable terms attached to theimage as an index. In another system the scanned image is stored andOptical Character Recognition (OCR) is performed on it to obtain andstore searchable terms in the index. Yet another system has theindividual copy text data from a resume, displayed in the wordprocessing program in which it was prepared, e.g., Corel's WordPerfector Microsoft Word, into different display fields to place the resumedata into the resume database. Irrespective of how the resumeinformation is placed in the database, however, it is necessary to beable to search for and find candidates that are qualified for aparticular job opening.

Typically, one or more members of a corporation's Human Resourcesorganization are trained in using the resume database, i.e., how tosearch the resume database to identify candidates who might be qualifiedto fill open positions. When a candidate is identified, however, theinformation needs to be shared with a Hiring Manager, i.e., theindividual that is looking to fill an opening in the organization.Often, a corporation has specific procedures to be followed in thereview/interview process. Some of these procedures are related tocomplying with EEOC regulations as well as related to internalrecord-keeping requirements. Compliance with procedure is monitored bythe Human Resources department.

Usually the Hiring Manager is not trained in using the resume databasebecause it is neither cost-effective nor efficient for this training tobe provided to all potential Hiring Managers in a corporation. Thus,information from the Hiring Manager regarding a candidate that has beenfound in a search of the resume database generally is entered by theHuman Resources organization. Entering all of this information is aheavy burden for the Human Resources organization, especially in a largecorporation. Further, the potential for incorrect information to beentered into the resume database with respect to a candidate increasesas more people are involved in placing the information into thedatabase. Finally, keeping track of resumes that have been forwarded toa Hiring Manager and monitoring the Hiring Manager's actions is adifficult process.

Training all potential Hiring Managers how to use the resume database toinsert information regarding a candidate is inefficient. A HiringManager's use of the resume system might be so infrequent that thetraining is forgotten due to non-use. In addition, because HiringManagers would use the database infrequently, the cost of a license foreach Hiring Manager may not justify its benefits.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address the inadequacies of these known systems, a resume databasesystem is provided so that a person who is unfamiliar with the resumedatabase can receive resume information about a qualified candidate andis able to enter information about the candidate directly into theresume database. Whether or not the recipient, e.g., a Hiring Manager,will be allowed to add information to the resume database depends on theperson, e.g., a Human Resources Recruiter, who sent the resumeinformation to the Hiring Manager.

The resume database system also may track the activity of the HiringManager, relative to the received resume information, by recording thisactivity in the resume database. As an example, the date and time thatthe Hiring Manager accesses the resume information is recorded as areany comments that the Hiring Manager may enter or actions the HiringManager may take as to that particular candidate. Further, another userof the system can be notified of the Hiring Manager's comments and/oractions. This tracking and recording of the activities of the HiringManager allows the Recruiter to identify situations where information isbeing forwarded but not being acted upon in a timely manner.

The Hiring Manager may be authorized only to review the resumeinformation without adding any comments to the database. Alternatively,the Hiring Manager may be authorized to add limited amounts or types ofcomments to the resume database with respect to the candidate. Stillfurther, the Hiring Manager may be authorized to review what others(within the corporation) have said about the candidate. Thisdetermination is made by the Human Resources Recruiter when thecandidate is identified as possibly being qualified for a present jobopening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top level representation of an example resume system;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart representing operation of elements of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart representing operation of elements of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart representing operation of elements of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart representing operation of elements of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an example web page for a client system, such as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an example web page for a client system, such as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an example web page for a client system, such as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an example web page for a client system, such as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an example web page for a client system, such as in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 11 and 12 show tables in a resume database according to an exampleof the resume system;

FIG. 13 shows the format of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) pointing toresume data according to one embodiment of the example resume system;

FIG. 14 shows a confirmation message according to one aspect of theexample resume system;

FIG. 15 shows a received e-mail message according to one embodiment ofthe example resume system;

FIG. 16 shows a resume viewing web page according to the example resumesystem;

FIG. 17 shows a form for adding data to a resume database according tothe example resume system;

FIGS. 18 and 19 show alternate web page formats for viewing resume dataaccording to another aspect of the example resume system;

FIG. 20 is an alternate version of an e-mail according to another aspectof the example resume system; and

FIG. 21 shows an alternate format for presenting resume URLs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1, a resume database server system 105 is coupled to a resumedatabase 110. The server system 105 includes a computer with a display,an input/output device (keyboard, mouse, etc.), memory and a storagedevice. The resume database server system 105 includes software that isstored on the storage device and executed by the computer to access theinformation in the resume database 110. In addition, the resume databaseserver system 105 includes a messaging software program to both send andreceive messages. The resume database server system 105 and its softwareoperate to allow resume data to be stored in the resume database 110 andfor the resume information stored in the resume database 110 to besearched by multiple users at the same time.

The resume database server system 105 can be any one of a number ofcommercially available computers. These include, but are not limited to,computers using an Intel™ computer chip or a Sun computer or a Power PCpersonal computer. The operating system software can also be any one ofa number of commercially available systems including, but not limitedto, Unix, Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Linux, andSolaris. The computer code for the operating system is stored on thestorage device, i.e., a hard disk drive, of the resume database serversystem 105 and transferred to memory when being run by the computer.

The resume database server system 105 communicates with a computernetwork 115, e.g., the public Internet, via a communications channel120. The resume database server system 105 includes hardware tofacilitate communication over the link 120.

Communication software also is also provided to send and receivecommunications over the link 120.

A first client system 125 connects to the computer network 115 via acommunications channel 130. The first client system 125 can include acomputer, a display, memory, a storage device, a keyboard and a mouse.In addition, hardware and software used to facilitate the communicationvia the communications channel 130 with the network 115 can be included.This hardware could be, for example, a modem for communicating over aphone line or an Ethernet adapter card to access a Local Area Networkthat has a connection to the network 115. The first client system 125also includes software that is executed by the computer to facilitatecommunication over the network 115. Examples of such software include,but are not limited to, Internet Explorer available from MicrosoftCorporation or Netscape Navigator available from America Online.

A second client system 135 also communicates via a communicationschannel 140 with the network 115. The second client system 135 can havea configuration that is similar to the first client system 125.

Each of the first and second client systems 125, 135 includes softwareto allow the respective system to send and receive e-mail messages andattachments.

The following description is provided as an example for explanatorypurposes only and is not intended to be limiting. Information fromresumes that have been received by a company or corporation are storedby the resume database server system 105 in the resume database 110. Amember of the Human Resources Department, e.g., a Recruiter, using thefirst client system 125, accesses the resume database server system 105via the communications channel 130, the network 115 and thecommunications channel 120 represented generally by the bi-directionalpath 145. The resume database software on the resume database serversystem 105 allows the Recruiter to search the resume information in theresume database 110 to identify candidates for current job openings.

As will be described in more detail below, the Recruiter directs theresume database server system 105 to send a communication viacommunications channel 120, the network 115 and communications channel140 to the second client system 135 as generally identified by thebi-directional arrow 150. As an illustrative example, the individualoperating the second client system 135 is a Hiring Manager in adepartment of the company that has an opening that needs to be filled.The Recruiter, operating the first client system 125, attempts to locatea candidate for this position by accessing the resume database 110.

The Recruiter accesses the resume database 110 to search for andidentify candidates that appear qualified to fill currently open jobpositions. The Recruiter then can arrange for the information about theidentified candidates to be sent to the Hiring Manager. The HiringManager then can view the information in the resume database for theidentified candidates and determine whether or not further action willbe taken on a specific candidate. The Hiring Manager need not be trainedin reading, searching, writing to or any other functions of the resumedatabase, because this function is performed by the trained Recruiter,i.e., someone who is using the system fairly often.

The searching through the resume database 110 to identify potentialcandidates may be performed by the person or persons who are trained touse the system in the Human Resources group. Efficiencies will be gainedbecause all open requests or positions can be handled through the HumanResources group. The system provides the Hiring Manager with thecapacity to review the resumes of persons identified by the Recruiterthrough easily viewable web pages and is discussed further below.

The flowcharts presented in FIGS. 2-5 represent steps that are performedin accessing the resume database 110 to identify candidates to those whohave open positions to be filled.

Referring to FIG. 2, in step 200, a search of the resume database 110 onthe resume database server system 105 is initiated. As described above,the Recruiter on the first client system 125 accesses the resumedatabase server system 105 via the network 115. The software operatingon the resume database server system 105, upon detecting the access bythe first client system 125, causes a program to run that presents a webpage 600 on the display of the first client system 125 as shown in FIG.6. This web page 600 is created via any one of a known number ofprograms for transmitting documents across the World Wide Web on theInternet using any markup language or mere text characters, e.g., anHTML document.

Because the information in a resume database is sensitive, accesses tothe resume database 110 are authenticated. As shown in FIG. 6, a “UserName” field 605 and a “Password” field 610 are presented, initiallyblank, to the user (in this case the Recruiter in the Human ResourcesDepartment). To access the system, the user enters the registeredRecruiter name (HumanRes1) and password and then clicks on a button 615to cause the software running on the resume database server system 105to determine if it is a valid user name/password combination.

After the user name/password combination has been verified, a web page700, as shown in FIG. 7, is displayed on the first client system 125under control of the program running on the resume database serversystem 105. The web page 700, once again, an HTML or similarly-featureddocument, includes a “Control Pad” section 705 including a plurality ofselectable buttons 710-740. As shown in FIG. 7, a “Search” button 715 ishighlighted. The highlighting and selection of the Search button 715causes the resume database server system 105 to display a form thatfacilitates a search of the resume database 110. The form includes a“Search Criteria” block 745, an “Execute Search” block 750, a “SavedSearch” block 755 and a “Recent Resumes” block 760. The Search Criteriablock 745 includes a “Skills/Keyword” field 765 in which the user, i.e.,the Recruiter, can enter words to be used for searching the resumes inthe resume database 110. The words that are entered in theSkills/Keyword field 765 are chosen to identify those persons withresumes that list the skills or experience that are needed to fill acurrently open job position.

The Execute Search block 750 allows the user to specify the types of jobapplicants to be searched as well as the number of job applicants perscreen to be displayed. A user can also name and save searches byimplementing the features of the Saved Search block 755. Thus, when asearch is unsuccessful in identifying candidates in the resume database,and needs to be run at a later date, it can be run again without havingto re-enter the search criteria. In addition, the search can be set toautomatically run, for example, every evening, to determine if qualifiedcandidates have subsequently submitted their resumes to the database.

The Recent Resumes block 760 allows the user to review resumes that havebeen recently submitted but which may not have been completely processedby the particular resume database software. By clicking on a “RecentResume” button 770, the user can view the information of recentlysubmitted resumes.

In step 205, the search results are reviewed by the user. As shown inFIG. 8, the resume database server 105 presents, on the display of thefirst client system 125, a list of candidates that meet the searchcriteria entered in web page 700, as shown generally in a web page 800.As shown, the document, e.g., any document created by a markup languageor plain text, indicates that there are 6,146 total candidates that meetthe search criteria. The portion of the web page 800, as shown in FIG.8, shows twelve out of twenty candidates that can be viewed on a screen.To view the remaining eight candidates, the user would operate a scrollbar 805 as is known from most Graphical User Interface (GUI)applications.

Summary information with respect to each candidate is presented to theuser. Two candidate records 810, 815 are identified. The user then canobtain more detailed information from the resume database for anyparticular record. For example, by clicking on a magnifying glass icon821, the user will be provided with additional information for thecandidate of record 810.

Returning to FIG. 2, at step 210, once the user has reviewed thecandidates found by the search and has either reviewed individualrecords or has refined the search criteria, a final list of candidatesof interest is created. Returning to FIG. 8, those candidates ofinterest can be selected by clicking on a select field, for example,select field 820 and select field 825 for candidate records 810, 815,respectively. The action of clicking on the select fields 820, 825causes a checkmark to be placed therein and a count to be placed in a“Candidates Selected” box 824. It should be noted that the operation of,for example, placing checkmarks in the boxes or obtaining additionaldetailed information for a particular candidate by clicking on thedetail icon 821, is performed under the control of the software programrunning on the resume database server system 105 in conjunction with thebrowser software running on the first client system 125.

After the candidates of interest have been identified in step 210, theRecruiter identifies the person or persons to whom the potentialcandidate's information should be sent at step 215. At step 220 theRecruiter defines the actions for the recipient(s) to take with respectto the forwarded candidate information. At this point, the Recruiter canchoose to allow the recipient, e.g., the Hiring Manager, to 1) have readonly access to some or all of the information about the candidate, e.g.,access to work experience but no access to the names of references, 2)provide comments on each candidate that will be placed in the resumedatabase and associated with that candidate, 3) fill out a formevaluating the candidate that will also be placed in the resume databaseand associated with that candidate, 4) review comments submitted byothers, or 5) perform any other action that might be defined for eithera specific job opening, work group or location. Of course, these areonly examples of actions that the Recruiter can set for the HiringManager to take and are not intended to be limiting.

After the Recruiter has identified the action or actions the HiringManager should take, the resume database server 105 is instructed tosend an e-mail message to the Hiring Manager that includes a UniformResource Locator (URL) that points to the candidate's resume recordalong with references to the form or forms that are to be completed atstep 225. A URL is a standard way that has been developed to specify thelocation of a resource that is available electronically. A URL is mostcommonly used when using a World Wide Web (WWW) client to link to WWWpages. The first part of the URL identifies the protocol that is beingused. Typically, in WWW applications, HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)is commonly used. In addition, one application of a URL is a hyperlink.A hyperlink is an element in an electronic document that links toanother place in the same document or to an entirely different document.Typically, a user clicks on the hyperlink to follow the link.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the Recruiter has identified candidates ofinterest (step 210) and determined to whom to send the candidateinformation (step 215) and defined the actions for the recipient to take(step 220), the Recruiter may click on an “Expansion” button 902 to bepresented with a selection frame 905 from which various actions can beselected by the Recruiter. An “E-link resumes” selection 910 allows theRecruiter to instruct the resume database server 105 to send resume datato the Hiring Manager.

After the resume database server 105 receives an indication from theRecruiter on the first client system 125 that resume information is tobe sent to another, a web page 1000, as shown in FIG. 10, is presentedto the Recruiter on the display of the first client system 125. The webpage 1000 includes a “Send Email” block 1005 and an “Email Message”block 1010 for the Recruiter to complete. The Send Email block 1005includes a “From” field 1012, a “To” field 1014, a “Subject” field 1016and two “HTML Attachment” buttons, 1018N, 1018Y.

As a default, an e-mail address associated with the user name entered inUser Name field 605 (FIG. 6) is displayed in the From field 1012. TheRecruiter can overwrite this default field with a different e-mailaddress. At least one e-mail address is entered by the Recruiter in the“To” field 1014. More than one e-mail address may be entered in the Tofield 1014 when separated by a predetermined character, e.g., a space, acomma, or semi-colon. If the Recruiter so desires, a descriptivemessage, e.g., a reference to the job opening or job code associatedtherewith, may be entered into a “Subject” field 1016.

A URL pointing to the identified resume data in the resume database 110is sent to each of the one or more recipients. The Recruiter chooses toeither send the URL as an HTML attachment to the e-mail by clicking onthe “Yes” button 1018Y or embedding it in the e-mail message by clickingon the “No” button 1018N.

If so desired, the Recruiter can type in a message in a “Message” field1020 that is part of an “Email Message” block 1010. When everything hasbeen completed, the Recruiter need only click on a “Send” button 1025.

As described above, the Recruiter can choose to have the recipient,e.g., the Hiring Manager, either review forms associated with eachcandidate's resume information that have been completed by others orhave the Hiring Manager complete a new form to be associated with thecandidate's resume information. As shown in FIG. 10B, a web page 1000′has a layout similar to screen 1000 in FIG. 10A. A “Send Email” block1005′, however, includes a “Forms to Review” field 1030 and a “Forms toComplete” field 1035. The Recruiter clicks on the up and down arrows1031, 1032 associated with each of the fields 1030, 1035 to choosedifferent forms to be reviewed by the Hiring Manager or to choosedifferent forms to be completed.

If multiple forms are either to be reviewed or completed, the forms canbe chosen as is known in other graphical user interface programs, e.g.,holding down the control key while clicking on the item or items withthe mouse. After the forms to be reviewed and the forms to be completedare chosen, the Recruiter can choose to be notified when the forms aresubmitted by checking a “Notify” box 1040. Thus, after a form iscompleted by the Hiring Manager, the Recruiter receives a copy of theinformation that has been placed into the completed form by the HiringManager. After these choices have been made, the Recruiter may click onthe Send button 1025.

In addition to identifying one or more forms for the recipient tocomplete, the sender (i.e., the Recruiter) can also establish anexpiration time for the URL. This expiration time can either be based onan absolute date and time for the URL to expire or can be relative tothe first time that the URL is accessed. For example, the resumedatabase system 105 may be instructed to inactivate the URL five daysafter it is first sent or five days after it is first accessed. Insteadof using a duration, the sender also may establish a date and timecertain for the link to expire. The sender also may instruct the resumedatabase system 105 to allow access to the resume record only a setnumber of times and thereafter disable the link. Finally, the system canbe instructed to notify the sender when the recipient has not accessedthe URL some predetermined amount of time after the e-mail message hasbeen sent. By being notified that a candidate's URL has not beenaccessed, the Recruiter can take alternate measures to assure thatqualified candidates are not missed.

As has already been described, the resume database server 105 and thefirst client system 125 may operate in a client-server relationship.Specifically, the resume database 110 is connected to the resumedatabase server 105 to which the first client system 125 communicatesvia a computer network. The resume database software resides on theserver system 105 and controls the display of the first client system125 with respect to its interaction with the resume database softwareand database 110. Thus, the Recruiter on the first client system 125 isinstructing the resume database server 105 to send information to arecipient. This system causes the transmitted message to the recipient,i.e., the Hiring Manager, to appear to be coming from the Recruiterwhereas, in actuality, it is being sent on behalf of the Recruiter fromthe resume database server system 105.

Referring to FIG. 3, the steps that are implemented in the resumedatabase server system 105 will now be described. At step 305, theresume database server 105 receives the instructions to send an e-mailwith at least one URL to at least one recipient as defined by theRecruiter on the first client system 125 at step 225 in FIG. 2. Theresume database server may implement the resume database 110 with arelational database accessed by SQL. Any one of a number of commerciallyavailable relational databases and languages can be used, for example,Microsoft SQL Server 7.0. As is known, a relational database implementsa number of tables that are cross-referenced by one or more indices.

In one implementation of the resume system, in response to receiving theinstructions to send the URL, the resume database server programimplements several SQL relational database transactions involving twotables: 1) a “Notes” table 1100, as shown in FIGS. 11, and 2) an “EmailTransactions” table 1200, as shown in FIG. 12. Notes table 1100 includesa “Resume_Key” column 1102, a “Date/Time Sent” column 1104, a “Date/TimeOpened” column 1105, and an “Email Destination” column 1106. Eachinstance of sending a URL, in response to a communication received fromthe Recruiter, causes an entry to be placed in the Notes table 1100 bythe resume database server system 105. In one implementation, eachresume in the resume database 110 has assigned to it a unique Resume_Keyvalue. Thus, for example, entry 1108 includes the Resume_Key=14888identifying a specific resume record, where the URL was sent on Feb. 29,2000 at 10:00:00 in the morning to the e-mail destinationHiringMgr@company.com.

The Email Transactions table 1200 includes a Resume_Key column 1202, anE-Link_Key” column 1204, a “Date/Time Sent” column 1206, an “EmailDestination” column 1208 and a “Sender_ID” column 1210. The Resume_Keyis the same key as that found in Resume_Key column 1102 in the Notestable 1100 and functions as an index. The E-Link_Key is a randomlygenerated number that is used for security purposes as will be describedfurther below. The Date/Time Sent and the E-mail Destination informationare the same as that already described with respect to the Notes table1100. The Sender_ID information records the identification of the userwho directed the sending of the URL.

In operation, when the resume database server 105 receives theinstructions from the Recruiter on the first client system 125 to sendthe link to an e-mail destination, i.e., the Hiring Manager, entries aremade in the Notes table 1100 and the E-Mail Transactions table 1200. Asan example, entry 1108 includes Resume_Key=14888 with the Date/TimeSent=20000229100000 and the E-mail Destination=HiringMgr@company.com. Anentry 1212 in the E-Mail Transactions table 1200 has a Resume_Key=14888,an E-Link_Key=769336409, Date/Time Sent=20000229100000, an E-MailDestination=HiringMgr@company.com, and a Sender_ID=HumanRes1. Similarly,the entry 1110 in Notes table 1100 parallels the entry 1214 in E-MailTransactions table 1200.

Returning to FIG. 3, at step 310, the resume database server creates aURL to link to the resume record. As shown in FIG. 13 a first URL 1300is created with respect to entry 1108, as shown in Notes table 1100. URL1300 includes a location portion 1304 identifying the location on theWorld Wide Web of the resume database server 105, and an encoded portion1306. The encoded portion 1306 encodes the Resume_Key value and theE-Link_Key value that is assigned to each URL such that it cannot beascertained without knowing the scheme that was used to encode theinformation. If there are two or more recipients, each recipientreceives a different URL that has a unique E-Link_Key value althougheach URL points to the same resume information. This unique E-Link_Keyvalue allows the system to identify when a particular recipient isaccessing the resume database since the unique identifier is associatedwith the recipient's URL.

Another table, not shown, is used to store information regarding theactions to be taken by the recipient. Each entry in the table wouldcorrespond with the Resume_Key and the E-Link_Key pair of the URL thathas been transmitted. This table would store, for example, an indicationof the notes that the recipient is allowed to access along with theforms that are to be completed.

The resume database server 105 formats (step 315) the e-mail fordelivery to the destination or destinations and then, at step 320,implements its e-mail program to send the e-mail with the URL and thenalso sends a confirmation message 1400, as shown in FIG. 14, to theRecruiter. The e-mail program can either be running on the resumedatabase server 105 or running on a separate e-mail server associatedwith the resume database server 105 and dedicated to sending andreceiving e-mail messages.

An e-mail message 1500 received by the Hiring Manager is shown in FIG.15. The message 1500 indicates from whom the message originated in a“From” field 1505 and to whom it has been sent in a “Destination” field1510. As above, the e-mail appears to have been sent by the Recruiter,however, it was sent from the resume database server system 105 and notfrom the client system 125. Two URLs 1515, 1520 that link to thecandidate resumes 810, 815, respectively, from FIG. 9, are found in thebody of the e-mail message 1500. In one embodiment, the URLs 1515, 1520are presented as hyperlinks that indicate the last name of thecandidate, the current or last employer as well as the current or lastposition as is stored in the resume database. Of course, this can bechanged as is necessary. In response to receiving the e-mail, the HiringManager would then access the resume database for the resume informationthat has been forwarded to him or her by clicking on each of the URLs1515, 1520.

The steps implemented by the recipient of the URL are represented in theflowchart of FIG. 4. At step 350, the recipient, i.e., the HiringManager on a second client system 135, receives the e-mail with at leastone URL. To access a URL, the recipient clicks on it at step 355. Atstep 360, the resume data is transmitted from the resume database serversystem 105 and presented on the second client system 135 where theHiring Manager is located. The Hiring Manager then completes the datafields of forms that have been presented to him or her for completion atstep 365. Finally, at step 370, the recipient clicks on, i.e., accesses,any other URLs that have been sent with the e-mail, for example, generalinstructions, reminders and/or messages.

When the Hiring Manager clicks on, for example, the URL 1515, the resumedatabase server 105 detects access of the system via the URL in step405, as shown in FIG. 5. The components of the URL are then identifiedby the resume database server system 105. Because confidentiality andprivacy are key requirements of a resume database system, it cannot beassumed that the portions of the URL are legitimate. To preserveconfidentiality and prevent fraudulent access to the resume database,the resume database server 105 confirms, at step 410, that access isallowed by comparing portions of the URL 1515 to data stored in thedatabase. Specifically, the portion 1306 is decoded to determine theResume_Key portion value and the E-link_Key portion value and arechecked to determine if there is a corresponding entry in the E-MailTransactions table 1200 for the pair.

At step 415, the access is verified. If the URL is found to befraudulent then, at step 420, the system will record as much informationas is available about the attempted fraudulent access to identify anindividual or individuals who is attempting to improperly access theresume database. At step 422, because the access has been determined tobe fraudulent, the URL would be directed to a message indicating thataccess has been denied.

Returning to step 415, if the URL is verified as being valid, controlpasses to step 425 where access is allowed to the resume database system105 via the URL. The URL access by the Hiring Manager to the resumedatabase is accomplished without the need for a username/password paircombination. Authorization is based on the information in the URLmatching information in the E-Mail Transactions table 1200. Only thoseusers who will be searching the database (and have received thenecessary training) will be provided with a username and a passwordwhich simplifies operation of the system. When the resume database isaccessed, the Notes table 1100 is updated for the appropriate record toindicate the date and time that the information was accessed in theDate/Time Opened column 1105.

With respect to the tables represented in FIGS. 11 and 12, one ofordinary skill in the art of creating and managing relational databaseswould understand that there are many different ways in which the tablescan be established and/or structured to accomplish the same function asdescribed herein. It is understood that the tables described in FIGS. 11and 12 are representative only and are not limiting.

As shown in FIG. 16, the Hiring Manager would be presented with a webpage 1600 including a “Resume Text, Notes & Status” link 1602 to thecandidate resume information, a “Forms” links 1605 to forms that need tobe completed and a “Completed Forms” link 1610 to forms that havealready been completed for the particular candidate. An “Interest”section 1615 also is presented to the Hiring Manager for completion. Inthis case, the recipient, i.e., the Hiring Manager, would indicatewhether or not there is interest in this candidate. If interest isindicated, then a pull-down menu 1620 can be selected and a number ofdifferent choices reviewed and one of them chosen to indicate what anext course of action should be.

An example of an additional form to be completed by the recipient isshown in FIG. 17. Form 1700 is presented to the recipient for completionof one or more fields 1705, 1710 and 1715, for example.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show alternate formats for presenting resume informationand notes to a recipient.

The format or layout of the display that is presented to a specificrecipient is determined at the time that the resume database is accessedvia a URL. The present invention does not need to pre-form the format ofa document or screen for presentation to all recipients. The format ofthe information is determined at the time that the database is accessedvia the URL and depends upon the criteria established for the URL.Specifically, factors such as whether or not additional forms are to befilled out by the recipient, or viewed by the recipient, or acombination thereof, are considered when determining the format. Thesefactors provide the system with the flexibility and quicker responsetime that make this system easier to use.

In the example described above, the e-mail message presented the URL tothe recipient for accessing the resume information. In an alternativemethod, the e-mail message can be formatted as a full HTML document topresent the resume information in an easily viewable form. The HTMLdocument may include an embedded Javascript program to notify the resumedatabase system when the document has been accessed by the recipient.The information can be presented to the recipient without having toaccess the web browser and tracking information can still be obtained.

Further, any forms for the recipient to complete can be presented as anHTML page. When the recipient completes the form, typically a “Submit”button will be clicked to signal such completion. The Submit buttonwould then call an HTML form submission routine which is a message tocall a URL, thereby providing the information in the completed form tothe resume database.

As has been described, in one embodiment the Hiring Manager receives ane-mail that has multiple URLs attached. Each URL is identified by a nameof a candidate and links the Hiring Manager to the particularcandidate's information in the resume database 110.

The Hiring Manager, instead of receiving multiple URLs, may receive ane-mail message 2000 with only one URL 2005 as shown in FIG. 20. A singlepage pointing to multiple candidates would be advantageous when there isa large number of candidates to review.

If the Hiring Manager “clicks” on URL 2005, he or she is directed to aweb page 2100 on the resume database server 105, as shown in FIG. 21. Atthis web page 2100, the URLs 1515, 1520, previously described, can bepresented and accessed in a manner similar to that which has alreadybeen described.

Having multiple URLs on one page allows the Hiring Manager to use thebrowser software to access the links 1515, 1520 and there is no need toreturn to the e-mail program to access the next URL. Some browserprograms also can be configured to change the display for URLs that havealready been accessed, e.g., from black to blue, which provides a visualcue for the Hiring Manager to identify the resumes that have alreadybeen viewed.

Because the resume database server 105 controls the screen display 2100,a URL can be removed from the page whenever necessary. Similarly, newURLs can be added to the page 2100 between viewings by the HiringManager if new candidates that match the search criteria have been addedto the resume database. In an intranet application, the page that thisURL points to could be regularly updated with search results.

In an alternate embodiment, each of the communications channels 120,130, 140 is a wireless connection to the network 115. In addition,hand-held wireless devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) ortelephones with micro web browsers can replace the client systems 125,135 and receive the e-mails with the URLs to the resume informationattached thereto. These devices could then be used to access the resumeinformation in the resume database. Of course, the format of theinformation for display on a hand-held device would differ from thatmeant to be displayed on the monitor of a desktop or laptop computerwith a larger screen. In addition, the keypad on a hand-held device,especially a phone, will limit the amount and type of information thatcan be entered by the recipient.

As there is no way to know exactly how a recipient will be accessinge-mail, one example of the present invention will send multiple URLs forthe same resume information. One URL will be directed to being viewed ona standard monitor with a fully enabled web browser and will be labeledas such. The other may be labeled as accessible via a hand-held deviceoperating a micro web browser or equivalent. The latter URL would beconfigured to operate in conjunction with the hand-held device and can,for example, accept input via the keyboard, e.g., “press 1 to arrange afollow-up interview, press 2 to indicate no interest, press # to exit.”Sending the URL in multiple formats allows the Hiring Manager to viewthe resume information from, for example, the micro web browser on thewireless phone to see if immediate action on a candidate is warranted.If such action is warranted, then the Hiring Manager can indicateaccordingly. If the matter is not urgent, the Hiring Manager can thenaccess the same data upon returning to the desktop or laptop computervia the alternate URL that is provided.

In the example system described above, the Recruiter runs a search toidentify a candidate for an open position and then arranges for a URL tothe candidate's resume information to be sent to the Hiring Manager.Alternately, the search can be defined and set to run automatically on apre-set schedule, for example, each night. This “Automated Agent” thensends to the Hiring Manager URLs to any resumes that match the searchcriteria according to the instructions set in the search. Once theHiring Manager receives the URL, operation of the system proceeds as hasbeen described above.

As resume information is placed in the resume database, it can becompared to the stored searches. If there is a match between thecandidate's credentials and the search criteria, a URL will betransmitted to the Hiring Manager. Thus, as soon as a candidate thatmatches a job opening's needs is entered in the database, theappropriate Hiring Manager will be notified. Being able to quicklyidentify and contact qualified job applicants can increase the chancesof hiring the individual and filling the open job position.

In some cases, a candidate who has submitted his or her resume to thedatabase may decide to withdraw it. If this withdrawal occurs, then alloutstanding links that reference this resume would be disabled. Thus, notime will be wasted by a Hiring Manager in reviewing a candidate whenthe candidate is no longer available. The Hiring Manager could, instead,be notified that the this candidate is no longer available.

In the representative example, the Recruiter and Hiring Manager work forthe same company. Alternatively, the first client system 125 and secondclient system 135 may be in unrelated organizations. An example of sucha relationship is where the first client system 125 is operated by asearch firm attempting to place someone in an organization associatedwith the second client system 135. Still further, instead of the network115 connecting the first client system 125, the second client system 135and the resume database server 105 together, an intranet may be used andthe public Internet avoided. Finally, the connection between the clientsystem 125 and resume database server 105 could be “direct,” i.e., on acorporate LAN, with communication to the second client system 135 viathe network 115. This last configuration would most likely apply to asearch firm where the Recruiters access the database on their intranetbut send URLs to others via the Internet.

As described above, the system allows the Recruiter to track what aHiring Manager does with resume information that has been received. TheRecruiter can also control the amount of access someone without ausername and password has to the resume database. By providing theRecruiter with this control, the use of the system is simplified whilestill providing the resume information to those who need it. The systemdoes, however, allow an untrained user, when authorized by a traineduser, to update the resume database through the use of relatively simpleand easy to complete forms.

Further, the resume database system may be used to allow a candidate toverify and/or update the resume data in the database. Thus, thecandidate would be sent the URL to his or her information with thecapability to make any necessary changes or updates by filling outspecific forms.

The example of the present system described above uses e-mail to sendthe URLs pointing to the resume information in the database. In yetanother embodiment, instead of using e-mail, instant messaging (IM)software, one example of which is AOL Instant Messenger from America OnLine, can be used to send the URL. With IM, one user has an indicationof whether another user is actively on the network. If the other user isactively on the network, a message can be sent directly to the userwithout using an e-mail server or program. The transmission of the URLvia the Instant Messaging operation can be integrated into the AutomaticAgent operation as well. Further, the search could be established suchthat URLs are to be sent via Instant Message, if the recipient isonline, otherwise the message is sent via e-mail.

As described above, one of the mechanisms for receiving the resume URLis a wireless phone with various examples of the invention based onvisual review of the resume information. Alternately, the textualinformation in the resume database can be converted to audible voicedata and conveyed in that manner to a recipient. Thus, as a choiceprovided to the user of the wireless phone, the resume data could betranslated from the text and presented. Further, the recipient could beprompted for voice replies that could be interpreted via commerciallyavailable speech recognition software and devices. Using voicerecognition can overcome limitations on data entry capabilities inherentin hand-held devices.

While a database has been shown and described for storing the resumedata, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that there aremany other mechanisms, other than databases, that can be used to storeresume information. These other systems are contemplated as fallingwithin the scope of the present invention.

Having now described a few embodiments of the present invention, itshould be apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing ismerely illustrative and not limiting, having been presented by way ofexample only. Numerous modifications and other embodiments are withinthe scope of one of ordinary skill in the art and are contemplated asfalling within the scope of the invention.

1-80. (canceled)
 1. A computer-implemented method of providing resume information stored in a resume database to a recipient, the method comprising: (a) identifying, at a first client system, the resume information in the resume database; (b) directing, by the first client system, a system management function to send to the recipient, at a second client system, a Uniform Resource Locator, URL, pointing to the identified resume information; and (c) receiving by the recipient, a message comprising the URL pointing to the identified resume information.
 2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: storing information regarding the recipient's accessing of the identified resume information.
 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: sending a notification after the recipient has accessed the identified resume information.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein: the notification is sent to an entity other than the recipient.
 5. A method of providing access to a resume database, the method comprising: under control of a first client system: sending an access instruction message; under control of a server system: receiving the access instruction message from the first client system; identifying a resume record within the access instruction message; identifying a destination address within the access instruction message; creating a Uniform Resource Locator, URL, pointing to the resume record in the resume database; transmitting the URL to the destination address; and under control of a second client system: receiving the URL at the destination address.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the URL comprises at least one of: (i) a first identifier associated with the resume record; and (ii) a second identifier associated with the creation of the URL.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the access instruction message comprises at least one of: (a) an indication of a form to be completed by a user associated with the destination address; (b) a time duration representing a time period during which the URL is valid; and (c) a request for a confirmation message to be sent to the first client system when the URL is transmitted to the destination address.
 8. A system for sharing resume data stored in a resume database, the system comprising: a database server system operative to: receive an access instruction message from a first client system; determine a resume record and destination address from the access instruction message; create a Uniform Resource Locator, URL, pointing to the resume record in the resume database, wherein the URL is constructed to allow access to the resume record from a second client system; and send the URL to the destination address.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the database server system is further operative to: from the access instruction message, identify data to be added to the resume database, with respect to the identified resume record, by a user associated with the destination address.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the database server system is further operative to: prompt the user associated with the destination address for the data to be added; receive the added data; and store the received data in the resume database, cross-referenced to the resume record. 